Former Pizza Express chairman backs business district cafe

A brand new coffee shop in the heart of Birmingham’s business district is being backed by the entrepreneur who supported the growth of Pizza Express and 3sixty restaurants, as well as being the founder of Strada and Signature Restaurants.

The &More Coffee shop, operated by The Genuine Dining Co which former Pizza Express chairman Luke Johnson works in partnership with, will take up residence in the 1,000 sq ft space at the bottom of The Colmore Building.

The addition of the cafe space is part of a £3.5m enhancement programme being carried out by real estate investment advisor AshbyCapital, which will also see the creation of a gym, treatment room, bicycle parking, luxury changing rooms and a drying room.

Peter Ferrari, chief executive of AshbyCapital, said: “The &More Coffee House will provide an important new amenity for occupants at The Colmore Building, bringing new and different breakfast, lunch and drinks options and offering the perfect place for breakfast, a coffee, or an informal meeting or working lunch.

“We look forward to the café opening this spring, coinciding with the completion of our exciting wider enhancement programme at the building.”

The Colmore Building, which provides 310,000 sq ft of grade A space over 14 storeys, is home to tenants including Allianz, Grant Thornton, Investec, Marsh and Vodafone.